We feel somewhat emotional to share the news that, 429 days after we closed our doors, we will be reopening them on Thursday 20 May!
We have thoroughly prepared and modified our building and the way we work, to provide you with a Tobacco Factory Theatres that is safe and reassuring, whilst also feeling exciting, enjoyable and atmospheric.
We know that each of you will have a variety of feelings and questions about returning to a theatre, so please know that we are here for any queries, concerns and suggestions you might have.
We’re also aware that it won’t be possible for all of our audiences to return in person just yet, and so we’re continuing to develop ways to share great theatre with you in different forms.
Here’s just some of what’s coming up:
Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s new production The Place at the Bridge, written by Chinonyerem Odimba and directed by Helena Middleton.
Caresses, featuring students from the Bristol School of Acting’s BA Foundation year in association with Bath Spa University.
Our latest addition to our Artist Masterclass programme is the brilliant David Mercatali (Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf?) with the first in-person session.
And we’re pleased to look ahead to the autumn, with YouTube comedy legend Michael Spicer’s The Room Next Door Tour.
Our Get Involved programme features the summer term of Young Theatre Makers across June and July as well as Summer Schools this August for young people aged 5-19.
Caresses is on sale now. Everything else is on priority sale for our Members from 10am Sat 24 April and goes on general sale from Wed 28 April.
In due course we’ll be telling you more about our Factory Singers community choir – back rehearsing in the Factory Theatre from May – and announcing a new acting company for adults starting in June!
And we’re proud to announce upcoming productions from Florence Espeut-Nickless with D.E.S.T.I.N.Y., – a blistering one woman show developed with support from Tobacco Factory Theatres; renowned music and storytelling group The Devil’s Violin with their brand new show The Beast in Me and Kneehigh performer Bec Applebee with Oh Mary – the incredible tale of Cornish legend Mary Bryant. We’ll share further details on these soon, along with more wonderful shows that will light up your summer!
We’re very relieved and grateful to have been awarded a grant of £120,136 from the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund this month, which will support many of our summer activities and enable us to offer support to local artists. Thank you to Arts Council England, Arts Council South West, H M Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
We also continue to be astounded and grateful for the support shown by all of our audiences and communities through donations, memberships and more. Thank you.
Soon we’ll be in touch with bookers and those signed up to our email list with further details of the Covid-secure measures that will be in place when you visit. If you’d like to know more about these measures before you book, please take a look at our FAQs here, which we’ll update regularly.
We’ve missed you so much, and we can’t wait to see you soon!
With kind wishes from all of us at Tobacco Factory Theatres
Posted on 24 April 2021
